Muse Spaced Opera!

Muse and the English National Opera: the collaboration that could really blow your mind at Glastonbury

Glastonbury headliners Muse have said they want to collaboration with the English National Opera (ENO), with whom they share a bill at this year’s festival.

The baroque rockers headline the Pyramid Stage on Sunday, June 27, the same day that the operatic institution open it.

When told Muse singer Matt Bellamy about the scheduling, he was impressed. Matt often talks of his classical influences and was quick to suggest a collaboration.

Bellamy said: I didn’t realise they were playing. Is that like a choir or something? If it’s a choir I might try and blag them on at the end! We could probably do something like (Absolution tracks) Butterflies And Hurricanes or Blackout.

He continued: I think it’s sometimes good to have artists that aren’t necessarily of a pop or rock nature. They sometimes have reggae acts on. That’s what make Glastonbury so good – the diversity.

ENO who didn’t rule out a collaboration. Asked whether Muse could join in their set, a spokesperson said: Well, Michael Eavis was threatening to come on and introduce it. But Muse, yeah, I suppose you’d want someone like that, who wouldn’t feel weird.

Many Muse songs are recognizable by lead vocalist Matt Bellamy’s use of vibrato, falsetto, and melismatic phrasing, influenced by Jeff Buckley. As a pianist, Bellamy often uses arpeggios. Bellamy’s compositions often suggest or quote late classical and romantic era composers such as Sergei Rachmaninov, Camille Saint-Saëns and Frédéric Chopin. As a guitarist, Bellamy often uses the arpeggiator and pitch-shift effects to create a more “electronic” sound, citing Jimi Hendrix and Tom Morello as influences. His guitar playing is also influenced by a more classical harmonic aesthetic, particularly the style of Latin and Spanish guitar music.